Landing Point recently hosted an insightful Unfiltered Discussion about Diversity Recruitment as part of our Future of Work, virtual workshop series, and we had the pleasure to sit down with a few brilliant minds to discuss the current state and consistent actionable ways to keep progressing forward:
- Arthur Woods – Co-Founder/CEO of Mathison
- Robert Woods – Senior Customer Impact Manager at Mathison, military veteran, and content creator
- Joy Sybesma – Founder & CEO of ScaleJOY
Arthur recently launched the first book of its kind, Hiring for Diversity. He spoke to the high-level themes when it comes to diversity and building a team and company that is inclusive, with a sense of urgency from conversation to action, all based on in-depth research done through Mathison. Let’s unpack the main points of his book and the topics we covered in our discussion:
1. Get clear on what we mean when we say diversity
A lot of leaders use the term “diverse hire” – there is intersectional diversity and a lot of diversity that is invisible. There are also underrepresented groups not even being included. Everyone has had different experiences/ways they identify themselves, so DEI is defined differently by everyone.
- Redirect the conversation to talk about an underrepresented job seeker community versus “diversity.” When we look at this statistically, there is a gap between the percentage of communities in an underrepresented population and those that are in leadership positions.
- There also needs to be a shift to focus on the person and their whole self, skill sets, versus obvious potential descriptors of someone to fulfill a quota.
2. The misconception around diversity hiring
The misconception is that 100% of diversity hiring needs are solely about sourcing. The belief is that once you find these candidates, the problem is solved—but that’s not the case. Without systems in place to foster an inclusive environment, diverse hiring efforts will fail. And when it comes to building equitable systems, it’s not about creating entirely new ones, but about embedding this work into the structures and processes that already exist.
- We discussed the concept of shifting from reactive Performative Activism to Proactive Inclusion. Performative Activism is a way to signal change about inequity, like changing logos for Pride Month, talking about Juneteenth, but that’s as far as it goes is where challenges arise. For example, companies may have changed their logo, but didn’t think about their gender-inclusive policies or parental benefits for same-sex couples at their firm. This reiterates the concept that it’s not just about showing you have a visibly diverse workforce; if the systems are not designed to be culturally confident and inclusive, that strategy won’t work. The shift is committing to talking about underrepresented communities throughout the year and making changes to the systems that are equitable.
To make real change through recruiting efforts, slow down. If you move too fast, you run the risk of reverting to unconscious bias and undoing all of your progress. There is so much change in the workforce that is anticipated in the next year, and this can be a big opportunity if organizations are intentional. It’s critical to empathize with the job seeker and not treat them as a number, but as a soul. You want people to feel included and empowered in your hiring process, even down to how people can apply for a job, and making sure it’s accessible. If companies want to create a diverse and inclusive environment, we need to get to the heart of what matters most to hiring managers, instead of looking at the perfect pedigree, which creates a homogeneous candidate pool. Shift to looking more at must-haves and minimum requirements, and also managing expectations that it might take longer to find a candidate from an underrepresented group.
3. Democratizing DEI responsibilities
DEI responsibilities shouldn’t fall solely on HR, recruiting teams, or underrepresented groups. For lasting change, ownership needs to be shared across the entire organization. Everyone plays a role—but especially leaders and executives, who hold the influence and authority to drive meaningful, systemic impact.
The expectation of leaders is incredibly high and complex right now, but there are tactics leaders can implement to demonstrate proactive inclusion:
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Empathy, curiosity, and vulnerability are strengths.
Once seen as weaknesses, these traits now enable leaders to have honest conversations and better understand employees’ histories and perspectives. Example: The 5 Bullet Points of Your Life exercise asks employees to share defining moments that shaped their whole selves. -
Adopt a permanent student mindset.
Inclusion is a continuous journey, not a fixed endpoint. Staying open to new perspectives ensures ongoing growth. -
A Head of DEI is a catalyst, not a magician.
Their role is to provide direction and build a framework, but lasting change requires cross-functional commitment. Example: Tying executive compensation to diversity outcomes drives accountability. -
Don’t overburden underrepresented groups.
Not all employees from these communities want to—or should be expected to—lead DEI work. Responsibility must be shared across the organization, especially by those with authority to make systemic changes.
Over the past year, we’ve seen progress in DEI simply through the increase in conversations—but talk alone isn’t enough. Real change requires action, and it’s important to recognize that DEI is not a one-time initiative but a continuous process. Lasting impact comes from honest conversations, empathy, and a deep, systemic commitment to growth and evolution.